I Don’t Want Poorna To Be A ‘Festival Chhap’ Film: Rahul Bose

Ahead of the film’s release, Rahul Bose and his girls Poorna Malavath (the youngest girl to summit Mt Everest, on whose life the film is based) and Aditi Inamdar (who essayed Poorna on-screen) engaged in an interesting, inspiring and fun conversation with Koimoi at the actor’s office…

You are donning the director’s hat after 16 years. Why?
There are a couple of reasons— one is that the acting was going really well. But when the roles began to slow down and dry up in the last two years, I thought that it’s time to get back to direction. Making Poorna was not a conscious decision. The offer came to me as an actor, then I went on to produce and eventually direct it.

Bollywood is all praise for Poorna…
As an actor, Shabana (Azmi) said it’s one of the best works I have done in my life. Naseer (Naseeruddin Shah) saw the film he said, ‘I loved it. Your performance was wonderfully understated.’ I think people are reacting to the chemistry between Poorna and Dr R S Praveen Kumar. They had such a close relationship and literally moved mountains together. While she climbed the mountain, he created the conditions for her to do it. That chemistry seems to be working really well. That’s what makes this film so touching. He didn’t sleep the whole night when she was summiting. Their bond is more like that of a father-daughter. Every single person cried in the theatre yesterday— Saurabh Shukla, Sudheer Mishra, Naseeruddin Shah, Vipul Shah and others.

Why did you choose to make a biopic of Poorna Malavath?
When Indians see this film, they will realise that when she (Poorna) stands with the flag on Mt Everest, I couldn’t think of a more inspirational way to say India can do it. It’s her real life story. The film is for every single Indian— rich, poor, south, north, educated, uneducated. When India gets it right, when Indians understand it correctly, when everything falls into place, nothing can beat us!

You have refused to screen Poorna at international film festivals. Why?
Because I believe this is a film for Indians. We can do festivals later na? I don’t want this film to have a festival chhap. I want it to be a film, which everybody goes to watch with a great deal of gusto, they go with their friends and cheer while coming back. This is not an art film. I have always said that. This is an out and out commercial film done in a very textured, layered, nuanced way. The story is so commercial, so mainstream— how a 13-year-old village girl reaches the Everest. It’s very interesting! The feeling is that of pure joy and exultation.

Please elaborate a little more on your character in the film
I play the role of Dr R S Praveen Kumar, who is the head of all the social welfare in tribal schools in Telangana. He is a very inspirational character. He is a quiet person, gentle, compassionate, driven, focused and honest. He is loved by all the children in all the social welfare schools across the state. His aim is to empower everybody to be the same. Poorna will tell you about the 10 commandments that he has written for children and you’ll realise what a visionary man he is.

Poorna, please tell us about your story, your journey till Mt Everest
Poorna Malavath: I have taken 8-months training in rock climbing in Darjeeling, ice and snow climbing in Ladakh and also how to adjust in cold weather. I went through another 3-months special training only to climb Mt Everest. We did jogging, various exercises, yoga and meditation and were kept on a special diet. Reaching the summit of Mt Everest took 52 days.

Did you dream of becoming a mountaineer from childhood or was it a sudden decision?
Poorna: It was a sudden decision. It got admission in a social welfare residential school in class 6. When I got an opportunity to climb the Everest, I decided to prove that girls can do anything.

Rahul: The line in the film, ‘ladkiyan kuchh bhi kar sakti hai’ is actually her line.

 Who inspired you to scale the Everest?
Poorna: My inspiration is Praveen Kumar sir, who is an IPS officer. His 10 commandments inspired me. These are ‘I am not inferior to anyone, I shall be the leader wherever I am, I shall do what I love and be different, I shall always think big and aim high, I shall be honest, hard-working and punctual, I shall never blame others for my failures, I shall never beg and cheat, I shall repay what I borrow, I shall never fear the unknown and I shall never give up.’

A film is being made on your life. How does it feel?
Poorna: I had never thought that I would create a world record by scaling the Mt Everest. After a year, Rahul sir met me in Hyderabad and told me that he wants to make a film on my life. He told me the story (script). They shot for 7 days at my village Pakala, in Nizamabad district of Telangana. I observed that acting is more difficult than climbing a mountain. Aditi worked hard for the role. I liked her acting so much that she has become my favourite actor!

(Hearing this, Rahul Bose pretends to wipe his tears)

Poorna: (Laughs) Sir you are my favourite director!

Why was Aditi Inamdar selected for the role?
Rahul: She paid us money and gave me her kidney! (Laughs). On a serious note, Poorna is a teenager, who is mischievous, playful, funny, restless but she has the wisdom of a 200-year-old. She is determined, phenomenally righteous, idealistic, has a deep sense of integrity. This combination of a very old person and a kid happens only when you get to see 6 dead bodies on your way to the Everest. The whole cosmos of understanding that she has been through, her experience as a 16-year-old doesn’t match that. What she has seen and observed, she is still processing that in her head. That idea is what I wanted Aditi, my Poorna to have. The ability to achieve so much and yet be innocent! That mix is what I saw in her. Also, she is a wonderful actor. She will grow up to be one of the great actors of this country.

Aditi what is your age?
Aditi Inamdar: 14

Rahul: She is 14 years and 14 kilos. (Laughs)

How did you prepare for this role?
Aditi: When I got selected, I was sent from my hometown Hyderabad to Poorna’s village to meet her for the first time. I was very happy and excited after meeting her. I got trained for one month in acting and did a basic rock climbing course. I was also trained in the Telugu accent.

Have you acted in any other film before this?
Aditi: Only in short films.

You overcame your fear of water while shooting the film. How did that happen?
Aditi: I was trained by Rahul. He had a tough time training me.

Rahul, in the film’s trailer there is a line, which you just said, ‘ladkiyan kuchh bhi kar sakti hai’. Do you believe it in real life?
 Of course! Ladkiyan kuchh nahi kar sakti hai agar aap unhe azaadi na de. Women do not want to be protected. They don’t want any help. They just want to be left alone to make the choices they want to make. That’s what men refuse to do, because it is a power struggle and men are obsessed with power.

Where has the film been shot?
Rahul: Aditi will answer this question

Aditi: It has been shot in Poorna’s village, Pakala. We also shot in Hyderabad and Bhongir rock in the city’s outskirts, then Mumbai, Darjeeling, Sikkim and Nepal.

Did you enjoy travelling to so many places?
Aditi: I normally don’t get to travel much due to school. This film gave me an opportunity to travel across India. I loved it!

Poorna, what do you plan to do next?
Poorna: I climbed Mt Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in South Africa last year. I am eager to climb other peaks as well but I plan to become an IPS officer and serve the poor people like Praveen Kumar sir.

Poorna hits theatres on 31st March.